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Abstract

An end-to-end sensor simulation is a proper tool for the prediction of the
sensor’s performance over a range of conditions that cannot be easily
measured. In this study, such a tool has been developed that enables the
assessment of the optimum spectral resolution configuration of a sensor based on
key applications. It employs the spectral molecular absorption and scattering
properties of materials that are used for the identification and determination
of the abundances of surface and atmospheric constituents and their
interdependence on spatial resolution and signal-to-noise ratio as a basis for
the detailed design and consolidation of spectral bands for the future
Sentinel-2 sensor. The developed tools allow the computation of synthetic
Sentinel-2 spectra that form the frame for the subsequent twofold analysis of
bands in the atmospheric absorption and window regions. One part of the study
comprises the assessment of optimal spatial and spectral resolution
configurations for those bands used for atmospheric correction, optimized with
regard to the retrieval of aerosols, water vapor, and the detection of cirrus
clouds. The second part of the study presents the optimization of thematic
bands, mainly driven by the spectral
characteristics of vegetation
constituents and minerals. The investigation is performed for different
wavelength ranges because most
remote sensing applications require the use of specific band combinations rather
than single bands. The results from the important “red-edge” and
the “short-wave infrared” domains are presented. The recommended
optimum spectral design predominantly confirms the sensor parameters given by
the European Space Agency. The system is capable of retrieving atmospheric and
geobiophysical parameters with enhanced quality compared to existing
multispectral sensors. Minor spectral changes of single bands are discussed in
the context of typical remote sensing applications,
supplemented by the recommendation
of a few new bands for the next generation of optical Sentinel sensors.

References

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Table 1.

Preliminary Set of 13 Spectral Bands of Sentinel-2 (from Mission Requirements
Document and System Requirements Document)

Spectral Band

Center (λ) [nm]

Width (Δλ) [nm]

Lmin

Lref

Lmax

SNR@Lmin

SNR@Lref

SNR@Lmax

GSD [m]

1

443

20

15.97

129.1

587.9

27.3

129

306.7

60

2

490

65

11.70

128.0

615.5

26.9

154

368.2

10

3

560

35

6.49

128.0

559.0

15.5

168

399.5

10

4

665

30

3.31

108.0

484.1

7.7

142

357.9

10

5

705

15

2.61

74.6

449.6

7.4

117

328.0

20

6

740

15

2.06

68.2

412.9

4.3

89

263.2

20

7

783

20

1.67

66.7

387.1

4.6

105

294.0

20

8

842

115

0.95

103.0

307.8

3.8

175

320.2

10

8a

865

20

0.95

52.4

307.8

1.9

72

219.2

20

9

945

20

0.51

8.8

172.5

10.8

114

614.08

60

10

1375

30

0.0

6.0

83.0

—

50

—

60

11

1610

90

0.4

4.0

66.8

—

100

540

20

12

2190

180

0.1

1.7

22.8

—

100

510

20

Note that λ is the center wavelength,
Δλ is the spectral width of the spectral
filter function, Lmin, Lref, and Lmax are different radiance levels
(Wm−2sr−1μm−1) with associated SNRs, and the ground
sampling distance (GSD).

Table 2.

Parameter Ranges for Band Centers (λC) and Bandwidth
(Δλ)

Band 4

Band 5

Band 6

Band 7

Band 8

Band 8a

Left: λC−Δλ [nm]

630

700

720

770

775

840

Right: λC+Δλ [nm]

690

740

750

810

890

890

Min: ΔλMin [nm]

30

15

15

20

115

20

Max: ΔλMax [nm]

50

40

30

40

115

50

Table 3.

Results of Optimized Chlorophyll Retrieval Using the IGRM

LAI

Bands

Sensors

RMS ESA
[μg/cm2]

RMS Best
[μg/cm2]

Band 4
λ/Δλ

Band 5
λ/Δλ

Band 6
λ/Δλ

Band 7/8/8a
λ/Δλ

4.0/3.0 (Lib1)

4 5 6 7

43056

17.1

5.4

675/30

710/20

735/30

785/30

4 5 6 8

3312

18.8

5.6

675/30

710/20

735/30

832/115

4 5 6 8a

82800

19.2

5.5

675/30

710/20

735/30

860/40

2.0/1.0/0.5 (Lib2)

4 5 6 7

43056

18.1

10.8

675/30

710/20

740/20

790/20

4 5 6 8

3312

18.4

10.9

675/30

710/20

740/20

832/115

4 5 6 8a

82800

18.8

10.9

675/30

710/20

740/20

860/25

Table 4.

Spectral Sensitivity Analysis of Band 4

FWHM [nm]

RMS Chlorophyll
[μg/cm2]

15

20

25

30

35

40

50

Center [nm]

660

27.1

27.4

27.3

27.2

27.2

27.1

27.2

665

19.9

19.8

19.8

19.9

19.7

19.9

20.7

670

9.1

8.7

8.8

8.8

8.8

8.9

9.2

675

5.7

5.5

5.5

5.4

5.5

5.5

5.7

680

4.9

4.8

4.8

4.7

4.9

4.8

4.9

685

4.9

4.9

4.8

4.8

4.9

4.9

4.9

690

5.2

5.2

5.2

5.2

5.2

5.1

5.1

695

6.0

5.8

5.8

5.7

5.7

5.6

5.7

700

7.1

6.9

6.8

6.7

6.5

6.5

6.4

705

10.3

10.2

10.7

10.5

10.6

10.9

11.3

Table 5.

Spectral Sensitivity Analysis of Band 11 (GVMI)

FWHM [nm]

RMS Water Thickness
[μm]

50

75

100

125

150

175

Center [nm]

1580

31.9

31.8

31.9

32.0

32.2

32.3

1600

32.0

31.9

31.8

31.9

32.1

32.3

1620

32.2

32.1

32.1

32.2

32.3

32.5

1640

32.5

32.5

32.6

32.7

32.7

32.8

1660

33.2

33.2

33.2

33.3

33.2

33.2

1680

34.3

34.1

34.1

33.9

33.7

33.5

Table 6.

Spectral Sensitivity Analysis of Band 12 (SAM)

FWHM [nm]

Classification
Error [%]

30

40

50

60

80

100

140

180

Center [nm]

2150

36.3

35.2

34.3

35.1

38.6

37.0

32.5

30.9

2160

30.1

29.4

38.4

38.7

39.3

35.8

32.9

35.1

2170

29.7

29.6

28.5

36.4

34.1

33.6

33.2

36.2

2180

27.7

24.7

24.9

24.5

30.3

28.5

31.0

36.7

2190

18.4

16.1

15.0

15.1

17.6

20.6

29.7

38.4

2200

21.7

21.5

20.8

20.6

21.4

19.9

34.9

38.4

2210

20.2

21.0

23.4

24.7

23.0

23.8

38.6

41.2

2220

35.7

28.3

29.3

29.9

29.7

34.4

38.0

38.3

Tables (6)

Table 1.

Preliminary Set of 13 Spectral Bands of Sentinel-2 (from Mission Requirements
Document and System Requirements Document)

Spectral Band

Center (λ) [nm]

Width (Δλ) [nm]

Lmin

Lref

Lmax

SNR@Lmin

SNR@Lref

SNR@Lmax

GSD [m]

1

443

20

15.97

129.1

587.9

27.3

129

306.7

60

2

490

65

11.70

128.0

615.5

26.9

154

368.2

10

3

560

35

6.49

128.0

559.0

15.5

168

399.5

10

4

665

30

3.31

108.0

484.1

7.7

142

357.9

10

5

705

15

2.61

74.6

449.6

7.4

117

328.0

20

6

740

15

2.06

68.2

412.9

4.3

89

263.2

20

7

783

20

1.67

66.7

387.1

4.6

105

294.0

20

8

842

115

0.95

103.0

307.8

3.8

175

320.2

10

8a

865

20

0.95

52.4

307.8

1.9

72

219.2

20

9

945

20

0.51

8.8

172.5

10.8

114

614.08

60

10

1375

30

0.0

6.0

83.0

—

50

—

60

11

1610

90

0.4

4.0

66.8

—

100

540

20

12

2190

180

0.1

1.7

22.8

—

100

510

20

Note that λ is the center wavelength,
Δλ is the spectral width of the spectral
filter function, Lmin, Lref, and Lmax are different radiance levels
(Wm−2sr−1μm−1) with associated SNRs, and the ground
sampling distance (GSD).